AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Agreed,” Selina said. “Well, I’ll leave you to your writing.” She meandered away, perusing the shelves for a book to read.
Uncle Latimer’s library was impressive. It was a large room, with massive, floor-to-ceiling shelves, stuffed with leather-bound books. It smelled of old paper, ink, and leather.
It had kept Selina and Faith both occupied the entire duration of their stay at Kirby Hall. She perused the titles, looking for one which interested her.
As she wandered, she frowned. Something about Thomas’s demeanor was off. He was too happy to be leaving when he’d only just arrived. He had convinced Jasper too easily. She chose a book off of the shelves, then returned to sit beside her brother, listening to the scratching of his quill on the paper.
* * *
Jasper sat at his large desk in his study. His elbow rested on the top, his chin cupped in his palm as he stared out the window. It was open, allowing a cool spring breeze in. It smelled fresh—of recent rainfall.
His mind was on Selina. The way that she bit her lip when she was nervous. The way that she leaned toward him when they were waltzing, the feel of her hip underneath his hand. He imagined that underneath, she looked exactly like the recent painters’ obsession with Odalisque—cream skin and softly-curving hips.
He exhaled, imagining her in the firelight, reclining on his bed as he lay beside her, running his hands over her curves, capturing her lips with his own.
There was a knock on the door. He cleared his throat. “Yes?”
“Lord Sandbourne is here to see you, Your Grace,” Sotheby said.
Jasper crossed his legs, leaning back in his chair. “Send him in, please, Mr. Sotheby.”
“Very good, Your Grace,” his butler replied, shutting the door with a soft click. By the time Sotheby had brought Stephen up, Jasper was composed.
“Stephen,” he said. “It’s good to see you. Come and have a seat.”
He studied his friend, who looked a little better than the last time that he’d seen him. Stephen was gaunt, almost a ghost of his former self.
“Hello, Jasper,” Stephen replied, taking his usual seat, just on the other side of the desk. He looked down at his hands, which were palms up in his lap, as if he expected there to be something, and was surprised to find them empty.
Jasper waited for him to speak. Stephen sighed, then looked at Jasper. “Sandbourne Hall has been let,” he said, at last.
“Oh?” Jasper couldn’t discern Stephen’s feelings about it.
“To a retired Naval Captain and his wife,” he said. “They seem like genteel people.”
“That’s—that’s very good,” Jasper replied carefully.
“I hate to ask anything of you,” Stephen said.
“Please,” Jasper said. “Ask anything. I’m happy to help you, especially when you’re in a difficult position after—after the robbery.” His friend had lost nearly everything.
“I’ll need a place to stay,” Stephen said. “Until there’s money for me to go elsewhere.”
“Of course,” Jasper replied. “You’ll have a room here at Gillingham, anytime that you need it.”
“Thank you,” Stephen said, his voice breaking.
“When do your tenants arrive?” Jasper asked.
“The end of the week,” Stephen replied.
“That’s good, then. You can come as early as today, if you need.”
“Perhaps, it would be best,” Stephen agreed, but then shrugged. He was about to say something else, when there was a knock at the door.
“Come in,” Jasper called out, surprised when his mother entered. From the concerned look on her face, something had happened. “Mother? What’s wrong?”
“I’ve just had a strange visit from Lady Leah,” she said. “Urging me to force you to reschedule the wedding.”
